On July 25, 2025, the Palais de Verre Paul Biya in Yaounde, Cameroon, hosted a high-level seminar addressing the pressing wish to wait on watch over and tax unhealthy food merchandise. The match was as soon as organized by the Reconciliation and Development Affiliation (RADA) in collaboration with key health stakeholders, including the Parliamentary Effectively being Funding Caucus, the Cameroonian parliamentary community on tobacco wait on watch over (Oxygen), the Ministry of Public Effectively being and other sectoral, the Clinton Effectively being Ranking right of entry to Initiative (CHAI) and the World Effectively being Group (WHO). This strategic gathering brought collectively parliamentarians, public health leaders, and civil society representatives to confront alarming proof linking unhealthy diets to the growing burden of continual non-communicable illnesses (NCDs) in Cameroon.
Weight reduction program-associated NCDs have overtaken tobacco because the leading contributor to world mortality, with over 12 million adult deaths yearly attributed to stipulations reminiscent of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular illnesses. This staggering figure, which represents 26% of all adult deaths, highlights a public health crisis that can now not be overlooked. In Cameroon, the absence of sturdy fiscal policies addressing unhealthy food merchandise has exacerbated the discipline. Instead of imposing needed taxes, the present pattern has been to grant rebates on these unhealthy gadgets, inadvertently increasing their accessibility and consumption. Compounding the discipline is the dearth of regulatory wait on watch over over the marketing of sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods, leaving the population—particularly formative years—uncovered to aggressive promotion of unhealthy dietary choices.
The seminar aimed to obtain the ability of parliamentarians on the need for particular taxes on unhealthy food merchandise in Cameroon. The expected of the exercise was as soon as that parliamentarians in Cameroon recommend for particular taxes on unhealthy packaged food merchandise to minimize consumption and promote bag admission to to more healthy food alternatives to the Relevant Executive Ministries.
Consultants presented compelling arguments outlining the general public health advantages of such policies, supported by proof showing the effectiveness of the same measures in heaps of world contexts. Such international locations as Mexico, the United Kingdom and South Africa have successfully former taxation to mitigate the consumption of unhealthy merchandise, resulting in famous enhancements in public health outcomes.
During the match, the need for an informed public health components to taxation was as soon as emphasised. One in every of the most pertinent arguments presented was as soon as the direct link between diminished consumption of unhealthy foods and doable decreases in NCD incidence. Moreover, increased tax income will be channeled into funding health initiatives and promoting more healthy food choices, aligning with the WHO’s solutions for financing wholesome dietary alternatives. The WHO furthermore highlighted the world “3 by 35” initiative, which calls on international locations to increase taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-encumbered beverages by 50% by 2035.
This seminar marks a decisive step in the wrestle against NCDs in Cameroon. It is now as much as parliamentarians to take this advocacy to the associated ministries so that taxation turns into a public health tool and make certain sustainable and health-conscious economic trend.
